Remodel and Refresh Your Way into the Home of Your Dreams

Get inspired with homeowner success stories and expert tips

By Chelsea Lin and Jennifer Pinto January 2, 2019

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This article originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the January 2019 issue, as part of the Remodel & Refresh cover story. Click here to subscribe.

Anyone who has driven Seattle’s residential streets and noticed how many are now lined with shiny new complexes and contemporary, boxy homes knows that Seattle is building like mad. But it’s not just new buildings going up—we’re also remodeling at an unprecedented rate. Maybe it’s the fact that the median home price, despite the recent flat-line, has risen to a point where it’s no longer tenable to trade up. Maybe it’s our collective love of all things HGTV. But according to the American Housing Survey by the U.S. Census, Seattle area homeowners have doubled the amount of money they’re spending on remodeling—both professional and D.I.Y. projects—in the last couple of years.

Sometimes those jobs are as simple as updating a room with a couple rolls of chic wallpaper; other times, homes are being taken down to the studs. A key word of wisdom from architect Henry Lo—one of the experts we polled for remodeling tips that you’ll find throughout the articles below: “Go in [to any remodeling project] knowing that you do not have enough money to do everything you want to do.”

Take a cue from our experts and homeowners featured in the articles below; we hope they’ll inspire you to turn your current home into your forever home.

This Wallingford Kitchen Remodel Lets the Sun Shine In

A Magnolia Home Refresh Without the Construction Mess

AIA Home of Distinction: Inside a View Ridge Midcentury Makeover

Expert Tips for Your Next Remodel Project

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Water World Wonder

Water World Wonder

Unique artistic collaboration invites water into stunning Lake Washington home

Swivel Interiors founder Kathleen Glossa lured five innovative local artists to a newly purchased vacation property perched on the northern edge of Lake Washington. Photo by Andrew Giammarco

Minecraft Motivation

Minecraft Motivation

Couple uses video game for renovation inspiration

They had a hard time visualizing what their new home might look like, so they turned to Minecraft, a hugely popular video game Microsoft markets as a tool for creative types to “battle mobs, construct shelter, and explore the landscape.” They had been playing the game for years, and didn’t need to consult the box

Trees, Whales, Wine

Trees, Whales, Wine

Browne Family Vineyards takes on climate change

Since late last year, Walla Walla’s Browne Family Vineyards has planted more than 120,000 trees in a reforestation effort to mitigate climate change on vineyards and grapes.

A Light-Filled  Oasis

A Light-Filled Oasis

Mercer Island residence embraces natural beauty by drawing it inside

When Kent and Lisa Sacia decided to put a bow on their latest remodeling triumph, they turned to a trusted collaborator, Sander Groves Landscaping President Dan Groves. He was more than happy to take on the project, a reimagining of a 1972 Northwest contemporary by a noted Mercer Island architect. “I am in a position to…